The Mermaid's Son
by Wammyman
Summary: Before returing to her kingdom, Rina got married and had a son. When she returns to the surface, can she win his forgivness?
1. Chapter 1

**Wammyman: Greetings readers, and welcome to the first chapter of my first non-crossover fanfic. It's actually loosely based off of my favorite fanfic "Mama's a Mermaid" by AuthoressSama. I hope you enjoy it. R&R please.**

Chapter 1

Rina laid flat on her bed exhausted. There were papers and notebooks spread across the floor. She was burnt out from helping the other mermaid princesses defeat Mikeru, then having to cram for her finals soon after. The exams themselves used up a lot of her brain cells. How Rina did on them didn't concern her too much. For pass or fail, she would still most likely graduate.

Now that the finals were over, Rina had more important things to worry about. She was concerned about her boyfriend, Masahiro. He was a rather charming young man. Masahiro enjoyed boxing, riding motorcycles and of course, having Rina by his side. However, there was one little secret that could destroy Masahiro's and Rina's relationship. Rina was a mermaid, and although she wanted to tell Masahiro the truth, she couldn't. For if a mermaid willingly reveals her identity to a human, they will be reduced to bubbles. Keeping this a secret from her beloved tore Rina apart inside.

"What am I going to do," she thought, "I love Masahiro, but I can't keep seeing him if I'm going to return to my duties as princess." Rina sat up in her bed.

"Maybe a swim will help clear my mind," she sighed.

So the young mermaid left her room and strolled through the halls of the hotel she called home. In the lobby, Rina came across her best friend Lucia. She was rubbing her forehead with one hand, and had an aspirin in the other.

"Hi Rina," Lucia greeted.

"Hey Lucia," Rina sighed in sadness.

"Man," Lucia went on, "those finals were hard."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Rina kept walking. Lucia grabbed Rina's shoulder. She looked Rina right in the eye and asked, "Rina, what's wrong?" Rina looked away.

"I just don't know what to do," tears started to fall off Rina's cheeks, "I want to be with Masahiro, but I can't ignore my responsibilities as princess. Lucia, what made you take a chance with Kaito? How do you know what to do with your life?" Lucia turned Rina around and wiped her tears with her free hand.

"I listen to my heart," Lucia gave a warm smile, "as we struggle in life, deep down we know what the right thing to do is. Rina, you're a very good person, and you deserve to be happy. Just do what your heart tells you to do." Rina smiled, "Thanks Lucia." Lucia grinned back, "Your welcome, and remember, you can always talk to me."

"Well," Rina said at the door, "I'm going out for a walk. Night Lucia."

"Okay, goodnight Rina," Lucia waved. And with that, Rina was out of the hotel.

The outside world seemed peaceful at this time of night. Stars shined brightly in the sky, the air was cool, no wind was blowing and the waves by the beach were calm and gave off a soothing sound. With a breath of the air and the waves in her ears, Rina had already felt a little better. It was then that Rina headed for the end of one of the docks and checked to be sure that no one was nearby. Once she knew the coast was clear, Rina dived into the ocean. She lost her clothes and legs, then grew a green fish tail. This was Rina as a mermaid.

The waters had a slight chill in them tonight, but Rina didn't care. For now she was going to swim and let her emotions fly free. Since there wasn't a fish to be seen, the mermaid had the sea to herself. Rina swam in zig-zags, loopty-loops and twirls. At one point she even leaped out of the water, and into the air. For a moment, Rina thought that she could soar through the clouds. That is, until she plummeted back into the ocean. Then for some reason, Rina couldn't help but laugh at the moment.

After finishing her swim, Rina crawled back up to shore. She sat where the waves could still brush against her tail. This mermaid didn't want to be human again just yet. Knowing how late it was, Rina assumed that no one would see her like this. So, still in her mermaid form, Rina took a deep breath and began to sing.

Meanwhile on a nearby road, a young man was riding his motorcycle. And in his hand there was a little pink bag. Once the man spotted the hotel that Rina lived in, he parked his motorcycle near it and removed his helmet. He clutched the hand that held the bag and said: "Come on Masahiro, you can do this."

Suddenly, Masahiro heard a beautiful voice from behind him. The voice sang, "Nagareboshi negai o kaketa, nanatsu no hikari mitsukedashite, hanarebare ni natta juerii sutaa, unmei to iu kizuna o shinjiteru." Masahiro recognized that voice.

"Rina," he thought, "what's she doing out here?" So then Masahiro scurried over to the beach where the voice originated. Before Masahiro set a foot on the sand, he saw Rina as a mermaid.

"Rina," he shouted, "is that really you!?" Rina broke out of song and her body became frozen. She was speechless as her life flashed before her eyes. Just as she felt her soul slip away, a touch on the shoulder brought her back to reality. She turned around to see Masahiro right behind her.

"Rina," he said, "I know that was you singing. And I'm pretty sure that's not a costume, am I right?" The mermaid nodded nervously. She choked on her words as Masahiro digested his discovery.

Finally, Masahiro concluded, "so you're a… a mermaid." Then Rina blurted out, "Look Masahiro I'm sorry. I mean, I wanted to tell you but…"

"It's okay," he put his hand over the mermaid's lips, "I understand. If someone else found out about this you'd turn into one big science experiment." Rina brushed off Masahiro's hand.

"No, if I told you I was a mermaid I would've died, that's why I kept it a secret."

"So when you said you would have to go back to your home town…"

"I meant my palace," Rina finished.

"Palace," Masahiro repeated.

"Yes," Rina answered, "look, Masahiro, as long as I'm being honest with you I should tell you that I'm not just any mermaid. I'm the mermaid 'princess' of the North Atlantic Ocean, and someday I'll have to go back and guide my people to create peace in my kingdom."

"Well," Masahiro said overwhelmed, "looks like you have a lot on your plate."

"I do," Rina bent her head down, "now you know why we can't be together."

"Good-bye Masahiro," Rina attempted to dive back into the ocean. But then Masahiro grabbed her arm.

"Rina, why are you leaving," he asked.

"Because you've seen what I really am," the saddened mermaid replied.

"A beautiful young woman," Masahiro grinned. Rina's face turned bright red.

"You mean, you don't mind that I'm a mermaid?"

"Of course not. I knew there was something special about you since the day we met. And I was right."

Rina's red face reduced to a blush on the cheeks. She giggled in relief that her beloved one still loved her. Then she remembered her responsibilities.

"But I still have to return to my people," she sighed.

"Someday you'll have to go back," Masahiro corrected, "not necessarily anytime soon."

"That's true but..."

"Rina," Masahiro cut her off, "I love you. I love you more than anyone else I know. I'll take whatever time I can get with you and wait as long as I have to for you to come back to me." Then Masahiro dug into the pink bag and pulled out a small black box.

"What I'm trying to say is," he opened the box revealing a golden ring with a shining diamond, "Rina, will you marry me?" Rina's mind flooded with mixed emotions. She didn't want to leave Masahiro, but she couldn't neglect the North Atlantic either. Then she remembered Lucia's advice. So the mermaid cleared her mind, listened to her heart, and then answered: "Yes."

**Wammyman: I hope you enjoyed it. Those song lyrics were provided by: ** .

**Please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wammyman: Thank you to those who have read and reviewed the story so far. And those song lyrics were provided by: **

anime/mermaid **Please enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody**

Chapter 2

After six months of engagement, the lovers were finally married. The wedding itself was beautiful. A church was crowded with the lovers' friends and family, five of the other mermaid princesses wore their emerald green dresses with pride as bridesmaids. Kaito was the best man who stood beside Masahiro in his dashing tuxedo as he awaited his wife-to-be. First came the mermaid princess of the Indian Ocean, who threw rose peddles across the isle in the most adorable fashion. Then came Rina in the most dazzling white dress anyone could imagine. Today Rina felt both happy and sad as all brides do. For today marked the beginning of her new life. Despite the butterflies in their stomachs, both the bride and groom said, "I do," without hesitation, then kissed.

After their honeymoon, the newly weds rented out a small apartment they could call home. It had only one bedroom, a bathroom, and a closet by the front door, along with a living room and an oven, a refrigerator, and a microwave on a far off wall. To get by, Masahiro started repairing motorcycles for a living rather than running his family's company. Rina however, didn't have a job. Instead she stayed home with a small bundle of joy.

Six months after her wedding, Rina gave birth to a baby boy. He was mostly bald except for the green fuzz sprouting from his head, and had grey eyes just like his mother. For the most part he was a quiet one, who only cried when hungry or wet. On the day of his birth, Rina and Masahiro agreed to name him Michio. Rina was happy with her new life. However, this happiness wouldn't last forever.

One Sunday afternoon that Masahiro happened to have off, the family of three went for a walk along the beach. Michio was asleep in Rina's arms for most of the way. He wore a small hat to keep his head from burning. Rina could only smile at her slumbering son. She smiled at everything on the beach. The waves, the winds, and the sun all worked together in harmony to forge a perfect day. Best of all, the family had the beach to themselves. This was appropriate for the events to come.

In the midst of the family's stroll, a gull flew above their heads and landed before them. The gull had a green envelop in its bill. This gave Rina a bad feeling.

"Masahiro," Rina handed over her son, "hold Michio." Masahiro took the baby into his arms. Rina opened the envelope and quickly read the letter inside to herself. Rina's eyes grew wide, and Masahiro grew concerned.

"Rina," he asked, "what's wrong?" When the mermaid turned around she painfully said: "I have to go back."

"Back to your kingdom," Masahiro asked worried. Rina nodded.

"Well, when do you have to leave?"

"Tonight," Rina answered.

"So the day's finally come."

"We both knew it would," said Rina holding back tears, "but I didn't think it would hurt this much."

Later at twilight, the family returned to the beach. Even now, no souls were present. Michio was awake now, but only faced his father. Just as Rina was about to go into the water, she turned to her family and said: "To think, I won't even be able to go to my son's first birthday. And lord only knows how long I'll be gone."

"It doesn't matter," Masahiro approached his wife, "I'm willing to wait for the rest of my life to see you again."

"But what about Michio? He needs a mother."

"Rina," asked Masahiro, "would it be possible to take him with you?"

"Are you crazy," Rina burst out, "he could drown!"

"Maybe not, he could have inherited your…"

"No," Rina ended the thought, "it's too risky." Suddenly, Michio started moaning.

"Well, then you'd better say good-bye to him now," Masahiro handed his son over to his wife. Rina couldn't help but grin at her son's face.

"Hi Michi," she said in a playful tone, "did you have fun today?" Michio giggled.

"I thought so," Rina went on, "so, can you say mama yet? Come on, say mama." When Michio tried to talk, he could only make a, "Mmmm," sound.

"That's okay," Rina giggled, "maybe next time."

"Rina," Masahiro reminded, "wrap it up." Rina got serious and looked her son in the eye.

"Michio," she said saddened, "I'm going to be away for awhile. I don't know when I'll be back but I will be someday. While I'm gone, please do Mommy a few favors. Listen to your father, make lots of friends, do well in school, and please, don't be mad at me, okay?" Michio grew silent.

"Whatever happens just remember, I love you," Rina kissed her son's forehead before placing him back in her husband's arms.

"Should I tell him your secret," asked Masahiro.

"I wouldn't," Rina answered, "we can't risk me turning into bubbles. Please Masahiro; promise me you won't tell him what I really am."

"Alright," he said, "I promise." And so, the two lovers kissed farewell and went their separate ways. Masahiro had it so that Michio could only see him for now. After Rina stepped into the ocean, she became a mermaid once more. Rina kept swimming forward and never looked back, while crying all the way. As Masahiro stepped off of the sand, he heard little Michio say, "Mama," successfully for the first time.

**Wammyman: While I may not own Mermaid Melody, I do own Michio. The only thing worse than this chapter's ending is the fact that now I have to study for final exams. So I ask you my loyal readers to please be patient-Wammyman.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: While I may not own Mermaid Melody, I do own Michio and his little friend.**

Chapter 3

As time went on, many things changed for Rina's family. On a positive note, Masahiro inherited a great fortune after his father's passing, along with his family's company. Masahiro then sold the company and accumulated a fine profit. With this money, Masahiro was able to start a business in a shop that not only fixed motorcycles, but also sold them. He also managed to purchase a decent sized house. While Masahiro's life changed, so did Michio's.

Michio had grown to be a curious one. For starters, he was gifted with intelligence that placed him at the top of his class. Also, he took more of a liking to swimming classes rather than boxing matches. Poor Michi sparred for a time, but retired after receiving serious injuries from a match. Although he fully recovered physically, Michio then became very shy around other people. Being so shy made it difficult to make friends. However, he did have one friend. This friend, his best friend, was a girl in his class named Hana Domoto. Although Hana was good company, she could never take the place of Michio's mother.

Rina had never returned from her kingdom. Little Michio had no memories of her, and had wondered where she disappeared to. Asking his father was useless because he would simply reply: "Mommy works somewhere far away, but she'll be back someday." Unfortunately, that day wouldn't come anytime soon. For over the years, Rina never visited her loved ones. The only connections Rina had with her family were letters that the family received on Michio's birthday, and on the lovers' wedding anniversary. Sadly, Michio stopped reading the letters and gave up on the fantasy of his mother's return years ago. Michio was now ten years old, in fourth grade, and had an important assignment.

While in class one day, Michio was putting the finishing touches on his math homework. Suddenly, the bell rang and startled Michio enough to make his glasses fall off his face. As everyone left the classroom, Michio felt around his desk.

"Oh man," he moaned to himself, "I can't see a thing without my glasses." While his hands slid across his desk, Michio accidently knocked his glasses onto the floor.

"No, no, no," he panicked, "I just got these, I can't afford to break them now." Soon after Michio got on all fours, someone picked up his glasses and said: "Here you go Michio."

"Ah, thank you," Michio took his glasses and put them back on. His glasses revealed that it was Hana who found them. She looked as charming as ever with her dirty-blonde hair in a pony tail out the back, and bangs above her dark-brown eyes.

"H-Hana," Michio shot up from the floor, "what are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember? We're going to start our project today at the beach."

"Oh right, right," Michio laughed while packing his belongings, "let's get going."

So the two friends left the school. Hana's dad gave them a ride to the beach near the hotel where Hana lived. When they arrived at the beach, the duo exited the red car. Hana's father rolled down a window and said: "Good luck with your project guys, and don't wander off too far."

"Okay Daddy," Hana replied, "I love you, bye."

"I love you too Sweetheart," the father said back, "and Michio, I'll call your dad and tell him you're here."

"Thanks Mr. Domoto," said Michio.

"Michio, I've told you a million times, call me Kaito."

"S-Sorry, Kaito," Michio stuttered.

"It's okay. Have fun you two." And with that, Kaito rolled up his window and drove home.

After they stepped onto the sand, Hana and Michio got out their supplies.

"So," Hana asked, "What are we doing again?"

"We have to find things that make this area a unique environment and establish a chart for its ecosystem," Michio answered. A puzzled expression was glued on Hana's face.

"We have find things here that aren't anywhere else and draw up a food chain," Michio simplified.

"Ooh," Hana's face lit up, "like seashells and seaweed, right?"

"Right," Michio smiled, "let's split up and meet back here in five minutes to look for stuff."

"Sounds like a plan," Hana cheered. So the friends marked their meeting spot with their back packs then separated in opposite directions. Michio searched through the sands while Hana used a different approach.

Hana set a few plastic bags on top of a nearby rock and looked around. Once she was certain that the coast was clear, Hana stepped into the water. Her hair became bright and grew out while her eyes became blue. She then lost her legs and grew a pink fishtail. This was Hana as a mermaid. After transforming, Hana grabbed the plastic bags, and dove under the tides.

The marine world was as peaceful as ever. The sun was shining and the fish swam together gracefully.

"Alright," Hana said to herself, "now where do I start?" As Hana swam through the sea, she gathered a few strands of seaweed, the former home of a hermit crab, a detached piece of coral, and the pearl of an oyster. She even found a seagull feather floating on the surface.

Once she was satisfied with her collection, Hana surfaced and searched for a place to dry off. She kept only her eyes slightly above the water. Suddenly, Hana spotted something in the ocean; or rather someone. It looked like a woman with green hair. The woman hid behind a rock as she spied toward the shore. Hana floated over to see that the woman was spying on Michio as he dug through the sand. This caused Hana to let out a slight gasp. The woman heard the gasp and turned around. But Hana ducked under the water before being seen. Under the water, Hana discovered that the woman had a green tail.

"A mermaid," she thought, "but then why's her tail green? And what does she want with Michio?" Out of fear of being spotted, Hana quickly swam away and found a place to hide and dry off. Lucky for Hana, the woman wasn't looking for her.

When the woman looked behind herself and saw nothing, she simply shrugged it off. She then proceeded to watching over Michio.

"He's grown so much," she thought, "and he looks just like his father." Once he finished digging around in the sand, the woman saw Michio head over to the backpacks. Soon after, Hana joined him. Michio seemed impressed with Hana's findings compared to his mere three seashells, a sand dollar and broken turtle egg. It was then that Masahiro pulled up on his motorcycle. So Michio put everything in his backpack, put on his helmet, and then rode off with his dad as Hana waved good-bye before returning to the hotel she called home. The woman smiled at the sight of the hotel she once lived in.

"Well," she thought, "I guess I could take a trip down memory lane before my family reunion." So then the mermaid swam to shore and took on human form. She then proceeded to entering the hotel.

Inside the hotel, Hana was working on the rest of her homework in the lobby when her mother came in carrying a laundry basket filled with towels.

"Hi Hana," greeted the mother, "how was school today?"

"Good," Hana replied, "me and Michio found lots of stuff for our project today. We still have to draw a chart for the beach's ecosystem, but we'll have time in class tomorrow to work on it."

"Well that's good," Hana's mother strolled over to the supply closet, "I hope you two do good on it."

"Me too." It was then that a lot of curiosity stirred up inside of Hana.

"Hey, Mom," she said in a questioning voice.

"Yes dear," her mom said stashing the towels away.

"Can mermaids have different colored tails?"

"Of course," Hana's mother answered, "mermaids can have purple tails like Aunt Nikora, yellow tails, light blue tails, dark blue tails, orange tails, and green tails. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," Hana sort of fibbed.

Before Hana's mother could question her further, Kaito called out: "Hey Lucia, someone's here to see you."

"Who could that be," Lucia walked over to the front of the lobby. She then saw her old friend.

"Rina," she exclaimed, "oh my gosh, what are you doing here!?"

"I came up to see my husband and son again, but I figured I'd stop by to see how you were doing first," Rina replied.

"We're great," Lucia bragged, "I'm running the Pearl Piari now while Kaito helps out and gives surfing lessons on the side. And our daughter Hana is turning out wonderful!" All this commotion made little Hana walk by to see what was going on. Her entry however, didn't go unnoticed.

"Oh," said Lucia surprised, "Hana, this is my friend Rina. Why don't you come introduce yourself?" Hana walked up to the grown-ups and curtsied: "Hello Miss Rina. I'm Hana. It's nice to meet you."

"It's a pleasure to meet you too Hana," Rina replied.

"Believe it or not Hana," Lucia commented, "Rina is a mermaid princess too, and is also Michio's mother."

"You're Michio's mom," Hana's eyes widened.

"That's right," said Rina, "and I hear you're his best friend."

"Uh-huh," Hana nodded, "since second grade. When he proved to the principal that this really mean girl broke our teacher's overhead and tried to blame me for it."

"Good for you Hana," Rina smiled, "and thank you for being Michio's friend."

"You're welcome," Hana gave off a bigger smile.

"So you're finally going to see your son again," asked Lucia.

"Yep, for the first time in ten years," Rina replied, "but I'm a little nervous about how he's going to react when he sees me."

"Don't worry," Lucia assured, "Michio is a very sweet boy. He's just shy, that's all." Rina took a deep breath.

"Alright then, wish me luck."

"Bye Rina," said Lucia, "it was great seeing you again."

"Bye Ms. Rina," Hana waved energetically, "and good luck!" With that, Rina left the hotel and headed for her family's new home.

**Wammyman: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. For it may be awhile before I update again. For I have two other fanfics in progress that I'd like to get back to. Even that will be difficult with school and homework. Plus, my district is putting in a ridiculous amount of effort into preparing us for the ACT. While you wait feel free to read "Mama's a Mermaid," by AuthoressSama (the fanfic I based this off of), then its sequel, "Mama's a Mermaid: Traitor's Tale," by AuthoressSama. Also, don't be afraid to read and review my other fanfics. Please be kind and patient-Wammyman.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody**

Chapter 4

Rina's new home wasn't far from the Pearl Piari. It merely sat atop a cliff five miles to the west. She knew this due to a letter she got from her husband a few years back. Anxious to reunite with her loved ones, Rina called up a cab and told the driver to step on it then gave them a pleasant tip for the trouble. Upon her arrival, Rina gazed at the house in awe.

On the outside, the house had a dark green roof and white walls. It also had a large porch with a black steel bench and two wooden chairs. The estate was well spread out with plenty of windows, yet not very tall. There was also a back door that guided guests to the edge of the cliff. Rina wasn't excited about the house being near a place where people could fall off easily. Nonetheless, the house seemed warm and cozy. The perfect place for a family reunion.

Before entering her home, Rina used a nearby puddle as a mirror. Her long, seaweed green hair was perfect. On her finger, Rina's wedding ring shined as brightly as ever. She was also wearing a dark green shirt under a white jacket. This look was both casual and sophisticated, the look Rina was looking for. Satisfied with herself, the mermaid felt ready to enter.

After taking a deep breath, Rina stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door. She nervously prayed that Masahiro would answer. Lucky for her, Masahiro opened the door. When he saw his wife again, Masahiro was instantly overwhelmed with joy.

"Rina," he exclaimed with a smile.

"Masahiro," said Rina in bliss. Without hesitation, the lovers kissed. They ran fingers through each others' hair, exchanged tongues, and felt young again. Then Masahiro retreated.

"Rina, I had no idea you were coming here today."

"Well, I thought it would be more fun if I came by surprise," Rina replied.

"So, is everything settled in your kingdom," Masahiro whispered.

"For now yes," Rina whispered back.

"Great," said Masahiro getting closer to his wife, "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too," Rina said before giving her husband a tiny smooch.

"So," asked the excited mermaid, "where's Michio?"

"He's in his room doing homework," Masahiro answered, "I'll get him for you. Michio, get out here!"

"That's getting him," asked Rina raising an eyebrow as she entered the foyer.

"Pretty much," Masahiro smirked.

"What is it Dad," Michio asked walking into the foyer. Then he saw Rina and froze. That was when the separated mother and son made eye contact.

After a moment of silence, Rina approached Michio as he took two steps back. Rina got close to Michio and bent over a little.

"Hi Michio," greeted the mother in a friendly tone, "my name's Rina. I'm a friend of your Dad's and I'll be staying with you guys for awhile. Are you okay with that?"

"H-Hi Rina," said Michio nervously, "I-I don't mind if you stay with us."

"So Rina," suggested Masahiro to break the tension, "how about Michio and I show you around?"

"I'd like that," Rina replied, "I'd like that a lot."

So the father and son proceeded to show Rina the living room. Although it was small, it had great features. It had soft, light blue carpeting with a dark blue love seat sitting on top. There was also a red leather chair with a brown, square coffee table beside it. What Rina liked the most about this room was the giant plasma screen television with a built in DVD player that hung on a wall of stones above the fireplace. This fireplace could be activated by flipping a light switch on the same wall. Something that made the living room very comfortable. However, this was only the beginning of the tour.

The family moved on through a brown door that could be pushed both ways. This door served as an entrance to the kitchen. It seemed quite elegant with its gray counter tops and white cupboards. Food could be easily prepared with the modern models of a refrigerator, oven and microwave. Beside the refrigerator was a cordless telephone mounted on the wall. There was even an island with three barstools for quick meals. This seemed unnecessary since the dining area with a table for four was right next to the kitchen with nothing separating the two rooms. But even that didn't stand out as much as the door that stood between two counters. With all that aside, the tour continued.

After exiting the dining room, everyone entered a door in the foyer that led to the basement. The basement had red carpeting and wooden walls. There were tables for playing air hockey, foosball and ping-pong. On the opposite side, there rested and old fashioned television set on a wooden stand with a VHS and DVD player. In front of this television were two bean bag chairs that had clearly been used. Behind these chairs was a heavy punching bag on a stand with two pairs of boxing gloves. While this was the most entertaining room in the house, there was still more to see.

After going upstairs and proceeding through the hallway, the family peaked into Michio's bathroom. It had a white tiled floor with beige walls. The sink was a little taller than Michio. There was also a green shower curtain. Across the bathroom was Michio's bedroom. In the room was dark blue carpeting and white walls. His bed had blue covers and a toy box at its foot. A desk covered in Michio's homework was not too far from the bed. Michio also had a closet with wooden doors and a wooden dresser with four drawers. There were also posters for Yu-Gi-Oh, Pokémon, and Dragon Ball Z attached to the walls. Also, there existed a window beside Michio's bed that granted a perfect view of the sun rising and setting. After looking around for awhile, the family moved on.

Behind the door to the left end of the hallway was the laundry room. This room had a light brown wooden floor with matching cupboards. Gray counters covered these cupboards. There was also a sink the size of a storage bin within the counter. To the left of this sink were a washing machine and a dryer that were obviously outdated. Near the machines was a blue laundry basket overflowing with clothes. On another wall were various white hampers that seemed full. It was obvious to Rina that she would have a lot of laundry to do, but at a later time. For now, there was one more room to see.

Across the laundry room was the master bedroom. This room had white carpeting and green walls. There was also a bed for two with dark green covers. The closet was big enough for someone to walk into. Beside the bed was a nightstand with a drawer, a digital alarm clock, and one of Michio's baby pictures. Within this bedroom, Masahiro had an additional bathroom with a tiled floor, a shower with a glass door, and a Jacuzzi bathtub. This marked the end of the tour.

"What a lovely home," Rina complimented.

"Thanks, glad you like it," Masahiro smiled.

"I especially loved the basement and your room Michio," Rina said to her son who stuck close to his father this whole time.

"Thank you," Michio said quietly, "I hope you enjoy your stay here."

"I think I will," Rina replied. While the family stood in the bedroom, Masahiro saw that it was five o'clock.

"Oh, hey Rina," asked Masahiro, "do you want to go out for dinner? You must be hungry."

"Sure," said Rina, "but doesn't Michio have homework?"

"He probably got it all done by now, right Son?"

"Well, all the stuff that's due tomorrow when I walk into class is done," Michio answered.

"Great," Masahiro declared, "then let's go eat." With that, the family of three left the house for supper.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody**

**Ad: Please read and review "Mama's a Mermaid" by AuthoressSama and/or its sequel "Mama's a Mermaid: Traitor's Tale" also by AuthoressSama.**

Chapter 5

The family strolled along the road for awhile before taking a taxi downtown. For dinner, everyone went to Michio's favorite restaurant, which was known as "The Epcot Diner." Inside the diner was a red and white checkered floor along with navy blue tilted walls. Attached to these walls were paintings of scenery from around the world. From the ceiling, there hung dozens of flags with different colors and designs. The kitchen could not be seen nor heard, and it seemed as though no bare seats were around. Luckily, a few were still up for grabs.

"Good evening," greeted a youthful waitress in black and blue, "how many are eating tonight?"

"Three," Masahiro answered.

"Follow me," the waitress replied.

The waitress led the trio to one of the few empty booths left. Once there, everyone sat down on the dark blue cushions. Rina and Masahiro sat next to each other across from Michio. After placing a basket filled with rolls and packages of butter onto the table, the waitress abandoned the family of three. Then everyone grabbed a menu from the far side of the table.

"So, what kind of food do they have here," asked Rina.

"All kinds," Masahiro replied, "Italian food, American food, Chinese food, Japanese food, even Mexican food. And it's all delicious."

"Wow," exclaimed Rina, "with so many choices, I don't know where to start."

"Hey, Dad," interrupted Michio, "can I go to the bathroom?"

"Sure," said Michio's father, "just make sure you can find your way back." With a slight nod, little Michio got out of his seat and left. Once their son was far enough, Masahiro and Rina bent down to hide.

"Rina," whispered Masahiro, "you may want to consider telling him you're his mother."

"I will," the mermaid whispered back, "I'm just, waiting for the right moment."

"Ugh, do you want me to tell him for you?"

"NO," Rina whispered loudly, "I want to tell him. Let's just, give him some time to feel more comfortable around me. Then I'll tell him."

"Fine," Masahiro gave in before sitting back up. Soon after, Rina sat up as well.

Once Michio returned to the booth, a waitress arrived to take everyone's orders. Rina ordered lasagna with black coffee, Masahiro requested sesame seed chicken with iced tea, and Michio asked for a juicy lucy with white milk. Satisfied, the waitress left the booth for the kitchen. This created an awkward silence amongst the family.

"So Michio," said Rina out of the blue, "why don't you tell me a little about yourself?"

"Well," Michio began a little nervously, "I've been taking some swimming classes."

"Really," asked his mother intrigued, "how are those going?"

"Great," Michio answered, "in a couple months I'll start taking level four lessons. That's the highest level you can take."

"Wow," said Rina with a warm smile, "you must be a really great swimmer. Good luck with those lessons."

"Uh, thanks," Michio replied with a weak grin.

"Hey Rina," Masahiro brought up to keep the conversation going, "did you that Michio's the smartest kid in his class?"

"Really," asked the mermaid surprised, "that's amazing Michio, keep up the good work!"

Before Michio could say another word, the waitress returned. She then gave everyone their orders. Rina's plate was flooded with marinara sauce with a stack of cheese at the center. Masahiro received a dish of a dozen pieces of chicken glazed in a special sauce with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Michio though, had a seemingly plain hamburger. As he bit into it, Rina asked: "So why do they call it a juicy lucy? It looks a plain old burger to me." While chewing, Michio showed the mermaid where he took his bite. He revealed American cheese oozing out of the meat.

"Oh, that's why," Rina realized, "that's pretty clever." Without further interruption, Michio's parents began consuming their meals.

When dinner was over, the family took another taxi back home. Masahiro unlocked the front door and flicked the lights on to escape the darkness outside.

"Man, I'm stuffed," said Rina rubbing her tummy, "we should definitely eat there again soon."

"Glad you liked it," Masahiro replied with a smirk on his face.

"Hey Dad," Michio cut in, "I'm gonna go get ready for bed now."

"Alright Son," said Masahiro, "I'll tuck you in when you're ready."

"Good night Michio," said Rina in a warm, motherly tone.

"Night," Michio said back. So then Michio set off for his bathroom, leaving the two lovebirds alone.

"When are you going to tell him," asked Masahiro quietly.

"Soon," Rina whispered, "once it's the right time."

"Look Rina, you can't keep leading him on like this. Eventually he's gonna figure it out. And how do think he'll feel then?"

"You're right," Rina sighed, "I guess now's as good a time as any. I'll tell him when he comes out."

"Good."

"Just let it be between me and Michio, okay," Rina placed a hand on her husband's shoulder.

"Alright, good luck." With that, Masahiro left his wife for the master bedroom.

Rina nervously crept up to the bathroom door, waiting for her son to come out. When he finally did, Rina got a grip on his shoulder and asked: "Hey, Michio, can I talk to you for a second?"

"Uh, can it wait until the morning," asked a nervous Michio, "I really need to get some sleep."

"No, it's better if we talk now," answered Rina, "come on." Michio followed Rina into the living room and they both sat on the couch. Rina was completely trapped within the rays of the foyer's light, while her son had some of the shadows to hide in.

"So," Rina began, "since we're going to be together for awhile, I should tell you that…" The mermaid's sentence trailed off when she noticed her son bending his head down and growing upset.

"Michio," she asked getting closer to him, "what's wrong?"

"I know you're my mom," he blurted out causing Rina to jump back. She was completely caught off guard. A moment of silent staring followed.

"How, how did you find out," Rina finally asked.

"I'm not stupid," hissed Michio, "we have the same color of hair, and the same eye color. I learned about traits you get from your parents at school."

"Well," Rina sighed, "glad that's out of the way now. Hm, I'm so lucky to have such a smart boy."

"Why'd you leave us," shouted the mermaid's son.

"Michio, I didn't leave you," answered Rina calmly, "I have this, job, that requires me to go far away."

"Then why didn't you ever visit? You never came back, not even on my birthday or Christmas. You didn't even call; all I got was some stupid letter!"

"You don't understand," Rina attempted to explain, "My job is very complicated and takes up a lot of my time." Michio got up off the couch and stood directly in front of his mother.

"Well what's this 'job' that's so important that you had to leave for all these years," Michio asked with tears welled up in his eyes. Rina bit her lip with guilt.

"Come on," he demanded, "tell me!"

"Look Michio," Rina said on one knee close to her son, "if I could I would tell you in a heartbeat, but I can't."

"Why not!?"

"I just, I just can't," the mermaid answered.

"Liar," Michio screamed before storming off to his room. Rina ran after him, but her son made it into his room first and managed to slam the door in his mother's face. This made Masahiro pop his head out of his door.

"Michio," Rina called out while knocking on the door, "please, just listen to me."

"Why should I," Michio asked with his hands on the knob, "you never cared about me at all."

"That's not true," Rina shouted sinking to the floor, "while I was gone not one day went by where I didn't think about you. For years I wondered, how were you doing? How much did you grow? What kinds of friends did you make? And when could I see you again? Now, we're finally together again. We can be a family again. And we can 'I love you' again. Isn't that what you want?"

"No," Michio screamed, "now go away and don't come back! I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Michio's words broke Rina's heart. She cried and ran past her husband and then curled up in their bed.

Masahiro walked over and banged Michio's door so hard, it almost broke.

"Michio," he hollered with rage, "get out here and apologize!"

"Give me one good reason," asked Michio in a huff.

"Because she's your mother," the father shouted, "and you'll be grounded for a month if you don't!"

"I don't care," the son hissed, "I'd rather stay in my room forever than talk to her!" Masahiro gave up and went back to his beloved. He put his hand on her side and said: "I'm sorry about him Rina. I'll knock some sense into him when he cools off. He had no right to talk to you like that."

"Yes he did," the mermaid sniffled, "He had every right. I was never a part of his life. I was never there for him when he needed me the most. We don't know anything about each other. I'm a complete stranger to him. All this because I had to go back to my stupid kingdom. Sure I'm a great princess, but I'm a terrible mother." Rina turned away from Masahiro and cried again. She grabbed Michio's baby picture off the nightstand and admired it in the moonlight.

"I'm sorry Michio," Rina said before being completely overtaken by tears.


	6. Chapter 6

**Wammyman: I apologize for the delay, I had college matters to attend to.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody**

Chapter 6

The following morning, Michio woke up stretching on a clear, beautiful day. He was in dark green pajamas with a button up top. After feeling around the surface of his toy box, Michio found his glasses. After putting them on, Michio got out of his bed. While exiting his room, he prayed that his mother was gone.

In the hallway, Michio heard humming. The humming came from a womanly voice and had a quick and cheerful tone. This humming made Michio tense up. For it would mean that "she" was still in the house. To be sure that it was "her," Michio peeped through the door to the kitchen, where the humming originated.

When Michio peered into the kitchen, he found his mother, wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday. She was at the stove flipping a brown disc in a pan with her sleeves rolled up. Just as she finished flipping, Rina spotted her son.

"Oh great," she exclaimed, "You're up!" Michio tightened a fist.

"Now, granted," said Rina dropping the disc onto a tray and before smothering it in syrup and butter, "what you said to me last night was very disrespectful, and it really hurt my feelings." Michio glared.

"But, it was justified, so, I forgive you." Rina put the syrup down and picked up the tray.

"So, how about we start all over," Rina rested the tray with a stack of pancakes drowned in syrup and a scoop of butter on top of the island.

"I'm not hungry," Michio muttered before walking away. Rina followed Michio through the living room and asked: "Are you sure? Because if you want I can make you waffles instead, or some scrambled eggs, or french…" Rina got cut off when Michio slammed the door to his bathroom shut.

"toast," Rina finished weakly.

Masahiro walked out of his bedroom with the same clothes from yesterday.

"Any luck," he asked.

"No," sighed Rina.

"Don't worry," Masahiro whispered, "this is his last day of school before spring break. After that, you'll have him all day everyday for a week and a half." Rina couldn't help but grin at that news. When Masahiro entered the kitchen, he noticed the pancakes Rina made. Since no one else wanted them, he figured he'd help himself. However, Rina was able to swipe the tray before her husband could touch it.

"These are for our son," Rina scolded.

Suddenly, the couple heard one door open, and another one close.

"Hey, when is he going to take a shower," asked Rina.

"Tomorrow," Masahiro explained, "he showers every other day."

"Oh," replied Rina feeling like an idiot.

"Why don't you take a bath and put some fresh clothes on," suggested Masahiro.

"Alright," Rina sighed. So she put the tray down, and headed over to her bathroom.

Once the tub was warm and full, Rina stepped in, and turned back into a mermaid. It was a good thing the door was closed because her fins stuck out of the tub. With the push of a button, Rina activated the jets to massage her body. Rina felt much better with the hot pulses loosening her muscles. That is, until she took a look at her tail. Then all the painful memories from last night came flooding back into her brain, along with the guilt of keeping secrets from her son. If only the legend of the mermaids was a myth, then she could tell Michio the truth. Somehow, Rina snapped herself out of it.

"Secret or no secret," she thought, "I have to make things right with Michio."

So Rina drained out the tub. After drying off, her legs reappeared. She then wrapped herself in a towel, and went to the closet in the master bedroom. Thankfully, Masahiro stashed her old clothes in there. Rina put on a pair of jeans, and her sleeveless yellow shirt with a green collar. Then she rushed out of her room, and into Michio's.

"Michio," said Rina more confidently as she charged right in. Unfortunately, Michio wasn't in the now empty room.

"Michio," she called out louder this time. There was no answer.

"Michio," she tried again walking down the hallway, "Masahiro!" In the kitchen, she noticed that the pancakes were intact and that no one was present. Rina checked the whole house and found no one.

Finally, she went outside. There, Rina found her husband and son putting on their helmets in front of a motorcycle. Michio also had his back pack on him.

"You two are leaving already," asked the mermaid.

"Sorry Rina," Masahiro explained, "I just got a call from work saying that I need to come in early so I have to take Michio to school."

"Oh," said Rina, "alright then." As Masahiro and Michio climbed onto the vehicle, Rina strolled up to them. Then she sighed with worry.

"I really don't like the idea of Michio riding on this," she said concerned.

"I'm fine, I've done this a million times," barked Michio. Masahiro elbowed his son.

"Okay," Rina said defensibly.

"Well, we need to get going," said Masahiro, "good-bye Dear."

"Good-bye Honey," Rina said back. Then Rina approached Michio and said: "Good-bye Son." Michio remained silent.

"I love you," Rina said lovingly. Masahiro tried to elbow some words out of Michio, but to no avail. So, Masahiro gave up, and drove off at full speed. Soon after, Rina went back into the kitchen, and picked up the phone. Tears fell off her chin while she dialed.

Meanwhile, back at the Pearl Piari, Hana was waiting in the lobby. Her mother came in with a vacuum cleaner, along with Hana's father holding his car keys.

"Ready to go Sweetheart," asked Kaito.

"Yup," nodded Hana, "let's go." Lucia hugged her daughter and said: "One more day of school and then it's spring break. Are you excited?"

"Uh, yeah," Hana replied, "over a week of no school! Who wouldn't be?"

"Well then, we better get going," said Kaito.

"Right," Hana acknowledged, "Bye Mom, I love you."

"Oh, I love you too Hana," said Lucia hugging her child tighter, "have a great day at school." After Lucia released Hana, she and her father began heading for the door. On their way out, the phone rang. Lucia picked up the phone and said: "Hello, this is the Pearl Piari, how may I help you?" Suddenly, Lucia started speaking in a more concerned tone.

"Rina," she asked, "what's wrong?" Then Lucia gasped: "Michio said what!?"

"Huh," said Hana turning her head around. Luckily, Kaito managed to get Hana out of the lobby and into his car before she could ask any questions.

However, after Kaito began driving, Hana asked: "What's going on with Michio and his mom?" Kaito looked at Hana's innocent face in the rear view mirror.

"I don't know Hana," he finally answered, "but when you see him at school today, don't bring her up. And if he mentions Rina, change the subject."

"Okay Daddy," said Hana in an understanding way, "but, doesn't Michio know that his mom's a mermaid?"

"No, he doesn't," said Kaito seriously, "his dad never told him because…well, I think you know why."

"Uh-huh," said Hana before shivering at the thought of turning into bubbles. To take Hana's mind off the nightmare, Kaito mentioned: "By the way, we'll have to be at the palace over the break."

"Okay," Hana replied more relaxed, "but Hippo better not yell at me again."

"You're still mad about that," asked Kaito.

"No," Hana protested, "it just still bugs me sometimes."

"Okay," Kaito chuckled.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"Nothing," Kaito replied as he saw Hana's school, "we're here." After parking the car, Kaito and Hana strolled through the parking lot together.

"Have a good day at school Sweetie," said Kaito hugging his daughter lovingly, "I'll come pick you up later."

"Bye Daddy," said Hana before kissing her father on the cheek, "I love you."

"I love you too," Kaito said back. With that, Hana made her way into school.

Soon after, Kaito spotted Masahiro scolding his son. Although he couldn't hear them, he knew it was about Rina. Once Masahiro finished speaking, Michio left his father in a huff. Kaito decided to have a chat with Masahiro to see what was going on with Rina. So he made his way through the infinite crowd of parents and children until he came across his old friend.

"Hey there Masahiro," greeted Kaito casually.

"Oh," said Masahiro surprised, "hey Kaito."

"So, yesterday Rina stopped by our place."

"Oh, she did?"

"Yeah, she finally came back."

"Yeah, finally," Masahiro replied slightly saddened.

"How's Michio taking to her," asked Kaito concerned.

"Well," sighed Masahiro, "at first he seemed to be his usual self. We showed her around the house and ate dinner together. And it ended with Michio in his room, and Rina crying on our bed."

"Ouch," said Kaito.

"Oh, and I forgot to mention that he hates her."

"Aw man, poor Rina."

"I know," said Masahiro with his face looking up, "I only managed to calm her down by telling her that his first word was mama."

"Are things any better today," asked Kaito.

"No," Masahiro exclaimed, "she made him breakfast, but he refused to touch it, and he hardly said a word to her. I tried to elbow an 'I love you' out of him, but that failed. This is so unlike him."

"Well hey," said Kaito trying to cheer his pal up, "You know Michio's never been comfortable around new people. Remember when he met Lucia and I?"

"Yeah but that was different. He was afraid of you guys. Around Rina he gets mad at her and gives her dirty looks. I don't understand why."

"Well, some parents never fully understand their children. I mean, I feel like Hana runs by logic that's the complete opposite of common sense sometimes. Plus, you gotta remember, Rina's been out of Michio's life for years and then suddenly came out of nowhere. Plus, with all her secrets, he probably doesn't know if he can trust her."

"I guess you're right," sighed Masahiro rubbing his face, "I just hope those two learn to get along soon."  
"Same here man," Kaito replied, "same here."


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 7

Back at the Pearl Piari, after Hana left for school, her mother was attempting to comfort Rina on the phone.

"He hates me," cried Rina into Lucia's ear.

"How did all of this happen," asked Lucia.

"At first he was all nervous and didn't seem to recognize me, which I assumed would happen," sniffled Rina, "then he and Masahiro showed me the house, he went out to dinner, and then came home. Later on I found out that he already knew I was his mother. Then he ran away from me, locked himself in his room and shouted 'I hate you'. Then I cried myself to sleep."

"Oh my," said Lucia full of sympathy, "that doesn't sound anything like Michio. Did you try to get through to him today?"

"Yes," answered Rina, "I made him breakfast, but he refused to touch it. And when I told him I loved him not even two words came out of his mouth. It's like whenever I'm around, he crawls into a little shell and won't let me in."

"Oh dear," sighed Lucia concerned. For she knew that Hana heard the beginning of the conversation, and hoped that her curiosity wouldn't make things worse.

At school, Michio and Hana began working on the final piece of their project. They were making a food web of the ocean's wildlife. During this project, Michio was in a terrible mood.

"So what do I draw here," asked Hana pointing at a spot on a poster board with a black-colored pencil.

"Phyplankton and zooplankton," Michio mumbled.

"Wait, what," asked Hana with a hand on her ear.

"Phyplankton and zooplankton," shouted Michio.

"Okay, sorry," apologized Hana. Michio started to hate himself after the way he acted.

"I'm sorry Hana," moaned Michio in sorrow.

"It's okay," Hana grinned.

"Thanks," said Michio slightly relieved, "I'm just mad because my mom came back last night."

"Well, that's good," Hana said a little weakly since she just disobeyed her father.

"No it isn't," said Michio growing upset, "she left my dad and me when I was a baby. Then ten years later, she comes back out of nowhere. When she came back, she didn't even mention that we were related, or where she was."

"Wait, then how do you know she's your mom," asked Hana.

"I figured it out," Michio answered, "I had a feeling she was my mom when I noticed we had the same eyes. Then when I saw her wearing a wedding ring, I knew for sure. Plus, I think she was about to tell me that we're related anyway."

"I guess that makes sense," Hana replied understandingly, "but, don't you think we should focus on our project right now?"

"Yeah, you're right," Michio agreed, "we can talk about my mom more during lunch."

"Okay," said Hana regretfully. So the two friends got back to work.

Back at the Pearl Piari, Lucia was still on the phone with Rina.

"So he found out that you're his mother on his own," asked Lucia to confirm.

"Yeah," said Rina finally calming down, "right before he stormed off to his room and said that he hates me."

"I can't believe he did that," said Lucia strolling around the lobby, "I know he has a hard time adjusting to other people, but not like this."

"How could I be so stupid," asked Rina slapping her forehead.

"Rina, you are not stupid," said Lucia.

"Yes I am," yelled Rina, "I thought I could just waltz back into his life thinking he'd be okay with it."

"She thought she could just waltz back into my life and thought I'd be okay with it," Michio told Hana at lunch, "I mean, how stupid is that?"

"Well, it's not the smartest thing to do," admitted Hana.

"Yeah, and get this, today before I left for school, she was all dressed up like a teenager. Seriously Mom, how old do you think you are?"

"Hey, um, Michio," said Hana to end the conversation, "I'm pretty hungry so, can we talk more later?"

"Alright," Michio replied, "I'm kind of hungry too." With that, Michio began biting a rice ball while Hana started devouring her apple slices.

Back on the phone, Lucia developed a solution to Rina's problem.

"Rina, you have to exert your authority as a parent over your son," instructed Lucia.

"But, what if that just makes things worse?"

"Well what you've done so far hasn't worked. You've definitely tried to reach out to Michio, but when he showed resentment, you retreated. You'll never connect with him that way. If you keep at it and act more assertive, he'll start to respect you. Now don't resort to hitting him or swearing at him, because that will make things worse." Rina carefully processed Lucia's advice.

"Alright," said Rina, "I'll try it."

"Great," said Lucia relieved, "I hope things get better between you guys."

"Same here," sighed Rina, "thanks for listening Lucia. And for the advice."

"No problem," Lucia replied, "I'm always glad to help." After exchanging good-byes, the two friends hung up. As Lucia began her chores, she couldn't help but feel responsible for Rina's situation. After all, she's the one who encouraged Rina to get married and have a child while knowing a mermaid princess' responsibilities. She also wondered how things were going between Michio and Hana at school.

When lunch ended, Michio and Hana went outside for recess. They sat next to each other on the swings with black leather seats and metal chains that squeaked while in use. Under the swings was a pile of woodchips that hid the bottoms of the silver poles that held up the swing set. Neither of the friends bothered to swing since they were talking. Hana decided to go for Michio's subject since she couldn't think of a way out of it.

"What kind of mother leaves her family for so long and just randomly comes back," asked Michio.

"Well," Hana tried to answer, "Maybe she has a complicated life. Did she tell you why she was gone?"

"She said she has this 'job' that takes up a lot of her time. But I don't buy it."

"Why not?"

"Because she says she can't tell me what her job is. At this point, I don't think I can ever trust her."

"What makes ya say that?"

"Because I'm her son, and she's keeping secrets from me. For all I know, she could've been with some other guy and came crawling back to us after he kicked her out."

"But you don't know that for sure," Hana said to defend Rina.

"Maybe not," said Michio, "but I know she's hiding something from me. And if she really loved me, she'd tell me the truth. I mean, how can you keep secrets from the people you care about?"

"I, don't know," answered a guilty Hana. She felt like the worst friend in the world for hiding her mermaid form from her best friend who told her everything. Hana wanted to tell Michio her secret, but she also wanted to live. At this point, Hana understood how Rina felt.

"Oh well," said Michio feeling better, "at least I can trust you Hana." The young mermaid noticed Michio's grin.

"Yup, you can always trust me," Hana replied with a fake smile. Once the conversation ended, the bell rang, and everyone went back to class.

**Wammyman: I hope you liked this chapter. I wanted to fit in some more updates before school started. It may be awhile before I update again since I'll be taking AP Biology. Please review and be patient. Thanks to you all-Wammyman. **


	8. Chapter 8

**Wammyman: I apologize for the delay. My duties as a student and a thespian have greatly crowded up my schedule. Due to having a little free time and some fans asking nicely, I have decided to update. Please enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 8

After the conclusion of their class, Michio and Hana strolled through the school's hallways together.

"I'm glad we got a hundred on our project," cheered Hana.

"Me too," Michio replied, "it was because of that stuff you found. Great job Hana."

"Thanks," grinned Hana with excitement, "and the best part is that we don't have any homework for break!"

Suddenly, Michio stared at the tiled floor with fire in his eyes.

"Too bad I'm gonna be stuck with my mom the whole time," he hissed. Those words painfully echoed in Hana's mind as she froze in her tracks. In seconds, Michio turned around to see his friend with an upsetting expression on her face.

"Hana," asked Michio, "what's wrong?"

"Why do you keep saying mean things about your mom," she asked back as her heart ached.

"Because," Michio answered firmly, "she doesn't love me."

"That's not true," Hana protested, "sure she left you when you were a baby, but she came back. Plus, you don't even know why she left." Michio approached Hana.

"She left because of her 'job' that she refuses to tell me about."

"Then maybe she just has a complicated life," suggested Hana. Michio grew mute.

"Look," said Hana, "if she didn't care about you she wouldn't have come back. Just, give her a chance." Michio just turned away and concluded: "It's hard to do that with someone you can't trust." Before Hana could speak another word, a sea of students separated the two friends who went back to their respective fathers who drove them home.

When Masahiro pulled up to the house, he parked his motorcycle on the driveway and entered the house with his son. When Rina heard the front door close, she quickly made her way to the foyer with a running washer in the laundry room. While blocking the hallway, Rina said: "Hi guys," with a joyful tone. As she peered down to her son who refused to look her in the eye, she asked: "How was school today Michio?"

"Fine," he muttered.

"What did you do today, Son," asked Masahiro to force a sentence out of the boy. With a tightened fist, Michio answered: "I finished a project with my friend Hana; we presented it, and got a hundred."

"That sounds interesting," Rina replied getting closer to Michio opening the hallway, "what was the project about?" Now was the chance for Michio to escape, so he quickly took it.

"Look, I have homework," he said working his way around his mother, "and I'd like to get it done now." Rina followed Michio.

"You know if you want I can help you," she brought up.

"No thanks," said Michio entering his room.

"Are you," Rina started before the door cut her off.

Enraged, Masahiro stomped up the hallway. Luckily, Rina managed to calm him.

"Masahiro," she said gently, "let me handle this."

"But he just," his sentence ended with his wife's finger on his lips.

"This is between me and him. I have to settle this on my own if I want him to take me seriously. Just let me try something different." Despite his frustration, Masahiro caved.

"Fine," he sighed. With that, Masahiro went into the basement.

After Rina crept up to her son's door, she knocked, and then entered. She saw Michio on his bed staring out the window.

"Hi," she said warmly. Michio was silent. Rina sat on the bed and looked at her child.

"I thought you had homework," said Rina. Michio was still silent.

"Did you lie to me?" Not even a peep came out of Michio. In an attempt to follow Lucia's advice, Rina grabbed her son's scalp and chin, and then turned Michio's head toward her.

"Look," Rina said seriously, "I am your mother. I will not tolerate you disrespecting me anymore. When I have a question, I expect an answer. Got it?" Michio had a scowl glued to his face.

"Got it," Rina asked more firmly shaking her son's head.

"Yes, Mother," Michio slowly mumbled.

"Good," Rina replied loosening her grip a bit, "now, did you lie to me?"

"Yes," Michio muttered.

"Why," asked Rina releasing her son's skull, "why would you lie to your father and me?"

"To get away from you," he hissed.

"Why do act so negative around me?"

"Because I hate you!" After hearing that, Rina felt a knife slip through the part of her heart that just recovered.

"Michio," scolded Rina holding back tears, "how do you think I feel when you say that?"

"The same way Dad felt when you left," said Michio coldly as turned back to his window, "and the same way I feel."

Now Rina was nearly overwhelmed by grief and sorrow.

"What do you mean," she asked softly.

"Do you know what it's like," he began as he struggled to keep his tears in, "to live your whole life without a mom?" Michio turned to face his mother while a drop slid down his face.

"Do you know what it's like seeing other kids at school get dropped off and kissed good-bye by their moms," he continued sniffling, "to see other kids' parents come on field trips while your dad's too busy with work, to not have anyone to take with you on parents day, or coming home with only one person to talk to?" Now Rina realized that underneath Michio's anger and hatred, was sadness and loneliness.

"And then," Michio finished, "to have your mom come back out of nowhere and not even tell you why she was gone?" Saddened, Rina wiped her son's tear with her thumb.

"I know," said Rina as her voice cracked, "I know I'm not the perfect mother. I know was never a part of your life like most moms."

Suddenly, Rina hugged her son ever so tightly.

"But I've loved you just as much as any great mother would," she spoke into her child's ear. The hug gave Michio an unusual tingling sensation throughout his body. He wasn't sure of how to handle it so he did the first thing that popped into his head.

"Ow," shrieked Rina releasing her son and clutching a hand by her shoulder. After removing her hand, Rina saw markings covered in red on her shoulder. That was the final straw.

"Look you little brat," said Rina disgusted as she got off the bed, "I may have been gone awhile but I'm here now! And I refuse to be treated this way by my own son! Now, you can either forgive me so we can have fun together or you can just sit in your room and stare at the ceiling over the break!" Michio was in a state of shock with what he just did and now with his mother yelling at him. While in this state he was frozen and didn't know what to say.

"You are to stay here and think about your behavior," Rina ordered at the door, "and if I don't see any improvement then you can forget about dinner." At that note, Rina shut the door and returned to the laundry room, hoping she did the right thing.

**Wammyman: So ends the first fanfic chapter I wrote on pages for iMac. And now for a special announcement: I have a poll set up on my account. This poll will determine what fanfics I continue to write with. The voting ends when all of my current stories in progress end. Vote now if you want to see sequels to your favorite stories written by me. **


	9. Chapter 9

**Wammyman: I am so very sorry for taking this long to update. You see, I received "The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword" and simply fell in love with the game. I beat it just in time for Christmas. It was then I received an Xbox 360 and additional Nintendo 3DS games. Without further delay, the story continues.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody. **

Chapter 9

Later that night, Masahiro and Rina were in bed together. Masahiro was lying down in a white T-shirt and plaid pajama pants while Rina wore yellow pajamas with a light green collar.

"I can't believe he didn't come to dinner," said Rina falling onto her pillow.

"It's his own fault," Masahiro said back, "he refused to come out of his room, so he starved."

"I'm beginning to wonder if we'll ever get along," Rina sighed.

"Don't be so hard on yourself," said Masahiro attempting to comfort his wife, "he'll come around."

"That's easy for you to say," Rina replied, "he didn't bite you."

"He didn't what," asked Masahiro shooting straight up.

"I gave him a hug, and he bit me," explained Rina. Masahiro looked his spouse in the eye and said: "That's it."

"What," asked Rina rising.

"You two need professional help."

"Wait, you mean like a shrink? Masahiro, come on, that's not necessary."

"Yes, it is," Masahiro spoke up, "things are getting worse between you two, and I can't figure out why. What other options do we have left?" Rina thought it all over carefully.

"Alright," she gave in, "let's give therapy a chance."

"Good," said Masahiro lying back down, "we can start looking tomorrow."

"Okay," said Rina lying down as well, "good night."

"Good night." After the discussion ended, the lover's fell asleep quick.

However, neither of lovers knew that their son, Michio, was listening at the door. From what he just heard, all sorts of questions raced around in his mind. What would the therapist do to him? Would he get sent to the nut house? How could his father side with that woman and not him? Was there something wrong with him? If so, what? Poor Michio didn't know what to do. He felt like everyone was out to get him. For now, Michio went back to his room.

At one point in the middle of the night, Rina just couldn't get any rest. The guilt of her secret kept her awake.

"That's it," she thought opening her eyes, "I have to tell Michio the truth." So Rina quietly got out of bed, so as not to wake her husband, and then navigated through the darkness to her son's room. Once inside, Rina waved around until she touched a mass of wood. She then moved her fingers up the wood and along a string of metal. Finally, Rina twisted a plastic knob and triggered a light. After shining the light onto Michio's bed, Rina approached him.

"Michio," she whispered while gently shaking him, "Michio, wake up."

"What do you want now," moaned Michio as he opened his eyes.

"I'm going to tell you the real reason I was gone," she answered quietly while putting her son's glasses on him. Michio got closer to his mother, filled with suspense.

"Now," said Rina slowly, "the reason I was gone for so long, is because I'm a mermaid."

"Huh," asked Michio with his jaw hanging.

"You heard me," Rina began while placing her hands on her son's shoulders, "I'm a..." Her sentence ended when she noticed her knuckles were bubbling. She also felt certain areas of her body burning.

"What's happening to you," asked Michio frightened.

"I'm turning into bubbles," Rina answered desperately trying not to panic. Which was hard to do since her fingers and palms became foam. Because of this, Michio was able to escape from his mother's grip.

"I gotta get out of here," he cried rushing out of his room.

"Michio wait," cried Rina trying to run after him. Instead, Rina fell to the floor. Looking behind her, Rina saw foam where her feet used to be. When she looked ahead, Rina caught a final glimpse of her son's leg.

"Michio," Rina cried out before losing her lips to the bubbles. In seconds, the burns stung harder and Rina's vision worsened until she saw only darkness.

Suddenly, Rina opened her eyes and popped up in shock. She felt her entire body, which seemed intact and saw the shadows of the master bedroom. Once she realized she was fine, Rina let out a huge sigh of relief.

"It was just a dream," she thought, "just a horrible dream." Just then, Rina heard the faint sound of a door closing. Worried, Rina quietly went to Michio's room to check up on him. She turned on Michio's lamp, and shined it on his bed like in her dream. Only this time, there was no one in the bed. This made Rina ready to have a heart attack.

Then she remembered what she heard earlier.

"He couldn't have," thought Rina rushing out of the room in a panic. Rina hurried through the house into the kitchen. She opened the door that led outside and saw her son scurrying away after noticing Rina. Rina tried to go after him, but she stopped when Michio got close to the edge of the cliff and shouted: "Stay back!"

"You get back here now," Rina ordered.

"No," said Michio as he started to breathe heavily, "I heard you and Dad talking! I'm not crazy!"

"No one said you were."

"Then why are you taking me to some shrink!?"

"We won't if you just talk to me," said Rina calmly.

"No," panted Michio backing up more towards the cliff, "I can't believe anything you say!"

"Michio, you're going to fall," warned Rina. Frustrated and confused, Michio screamed: "Shut u-," His sentence was cut off as he began to plummet.

"Michio," screamed Rina at the top of her lungs and sprinting to the rescue. After diving down the cliff, Rina saw Michio's head hit the stone of the cliff. Michio splashed into the sea and sank like a rock. Soon after, Rina went below the tides as well. As a mermaid, Rina grabbed her child and swam to the surface, losing his glasses along the way.

After surfacing, Rina dragged her soaking wet son beyond the waves and laid him down face up. He was still and silent. The moonlight revealed a little blood from Michio's head leaking onto the sand. Knowing that it was all she could do, Rina removed the green pearl from her pendant. She then pulled Michio up slightly and pressed the pearl upon his head. The pearl glowed a lime green light. In seconds, the bleeding ended and Michio began shivering like crazy as he breathed short, quick breaths. Rina quickly put the pearl back into her pendant, and brought her son closer to her.

"Oh," she sighed sympathetically, "my poor baby."

"G-Get a-a-away from me," Michio managed to say. Rina looked down at her son in shock.

"How can you say that after I just saved your life," she asked, "oh, by the way, you're welcome for that."

"J-Just l-leave me a-a-alone," breathed Michio.

"What do I have to do so you'll stop being mad at me," asked Rina stumped.

"N-N-Nothing," answered Michio, "n-no matter w-what, I'll a-always h-h-hate y-you. S-So j-just leave. L-Leave a-and n-n-never c-c-comeback. Th-Then I-I'll b-be happy." At this point, Rina's heart was reduced to dust. She could no longer bear her son's hatred.

"All right then, fine," replied Rina barely being able to hold back tears, "if that's what you want, then I'll leave."

"G-Good," shivered Michio.

"But first, let me make sure you're okay and take you home," finished Rina as tears rolled down her cheeks, "then I'll be gone in the morning. And I promise, you'll never see me again."

"A-And n-no more l-letters," Michio added.

"Fine," sniffled Rina. Never before was Rina in so much pain. Her chest was heavy and filled with aches. For after tonight, she would never see her family again.

Yet somehow, Rina had one spark of hope left. Her tail was still visible on the beach. This was her only chance to show Michio the truth.

"Before I go," said Rina, "I should tell you that if you look by my legs, you'll see why I left."

"I-I don't u-u-understand," breathed Michio still shivering, "and I-I c-can't s-see w-without my glasses."

"Then feel around," said Rina sitting her son up. Because Michio still wished to know of his mother's "job," he touched Rina with both of his hands. At first, he only felt Rina's soft, moist flesh, but Michio moved his hands down a bit. Michio took his hands back after getting poked by something, then carefully felt around again. What Michio felt was a scaly surface. Despite his terrible eyesight, Michio saw a large patch of green. By squinting his eyes, Michio was able to make out fins. Suddenly, Michio stopped shaking.

"Mom," he said slowly in realization, "you're a...mermaid." Rina grinned as Michio discovered the truth. The grin grew as Rina saw a pair of glasses wash up onto shore.

"See for yourself," said Rina reaching for the glasses. Once Rina placed the glasses onto Michio's nose, he saw her tail and upper body as clear as the night. Michio felt weird seeing a real mermaid right in front of him. The fact that it was also his mother made things even more awkward.

"So, you're really, a mermaid," asked Michio.

"Actually," corrected Rina, "I'm a mermaid princess."

"P-Princess," repeated Michio still processing everything, "as in the kind that runs a country?" Rina nodded.

"I left because I had to tend to my kingdom," she explained.

"So then you didn't have a," said Michio piecing it all together, "but you really wanted to, to..."

Michio's thoughts trailed off as he was overtaken by sobbing. He wrapped his arms around his mother's upper body and rested his head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry Mommy," he sobbed, "I didn't know. If I did then I never would've been so mean to you."

"No," whispered Rina wrapping her arms around her child, "you had every right to be mad at me. Now Son, take a deep breath." Michio did as he was told and calmed down a bit.

"That's it," said Rina patting him on the back.

"But wait," asked Michio facing his mother, "why didn't you just tell me you're a mermaid?"

"Because," answered Rina, "when a mermaid willingly reveals her identity to a human, she turns into bubbles." News tears poured out of Michio's eyes.

"I didn't want you to die," he sniffled.

"Michio, it's okay," said Rina wiping her son's tears, "everything's fine now."

Once Michio calmed down, he started shivering again.

"I-I'm freezing," he breathed.

"Oh," whispered Rina petting her son, "then let's get you into some nice, warm jammies." Because she was dry enough, Rina returned to her human form. She picked up her son, and wrapped her long, seaweed green hair around him. Her hair was soft enough to make Michio feel comfortable and reduced his shivering. Once Michio was settled, Rina ran him back up to the house. After reaching the estate, Rina entered through the kitchen door, and made her way to Michio's room.

Rina unwrapped Michio and placed him on his bed.

"Which drawer has your pajamas," she quietly asked?

"S-Second from the top," answered Michio cold and drowsy. When Rina dug around the dresser, she found a set of pajamas. The moonlight revealed it to be a plain white T-shirt and black pants with red and white balls on them. After placing her child's glasses on the toy box, Rina switched pajamas and threw the damp set in the laundry room. When Rina returned to Michio's room to tuck him in, she found him sitting up on the bed. It seemed as though his eyelids got heavier by the second.

"Good night Son," Rina whispered lifting Michio's legs under the covers.

"Mom," he blurted out exhausted, "don't go! Don't leave me again!"

"Sh," Rina whispered placing a finger on the boy's lips, "I'll stay." So Rina carefully climbed into the bed. It seemed strong enough to support her. So she pulled the covers over and curled up around her son. This made Michio's body feel weightless and relaxed. Once Rina was comfortable, she ran two fingers over Michio's eyes to close them.

"I'll be here when you wake up tomorrow, I promise," whispered Rina. After receiving a kiss on the forehead from his mother, Michio was out like a light. As Rina closed her eyes, she thought: "Michio, please remember tonight. If you can only remember one thing, remember tonight."

**Wammyman: Well, that was a long one. I was really excited about posting this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it. And remember to vote if you haven't already. **


	10. Chapter 10

**Wammyman: Hello everyone. I apologize for taking this long to update. My first semester of college proved to be most time consuming. I had five classes. One of those classes was a writing class that was taught by a terrible professor. I am convinced the man is on crack. Anyways, I still have some more chapters for this story. Please enjoy!**

**Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to the return of Toonami, the death of the Nostalgia Critic, and the release of the new Channel Awesome show "Demo Reel." **

Chapter 10

At the break of dawn, Masahiro awakened.

"Morning Rina," he yawned while putting on his glasses. Once his vision cleared up, Masahiro looked over to see that the other side of the bed was empty. With his heart pounding at the thought of never seeing Rina again, Masahiro jumped out of bed and scurried out of the bedroom. As he rushed through the hallway, there was a strange sight in the corner of his eye.

Masahiro gazed into Michio's room and found Rina in the boy's bed. After quietly making his way to the bed, Masahiro gently nudged his spouse. Rina's body briefly vibrated as she opened her eyes.

"What happened," asked Masahiro quietly.

"Long story short," whispered Rina, "Michio figured out my secret. Everything should be alright between us now." Masahiro grinned with sweet relief from the news.

"You can tell me more about it later," he whispered, "I have to work today, but I'll leave you some money before I go."

"Thank you," Rina softly replied, "I'll see what Michio wants to do after he wakes up."

"Okay, have fun," Masahiro whispered before kissing his wife good-bye. After Masahiro left the room, Rina fell right back asleep.

As Rina slumbered, her stomach ached with the fear of Michio suffering memory loss from his fall. Her heart also grew heavy at the thought having to win her son's love all over again. Rina's worries peaked when she felt something moving between her legs. When Rina woke up, she noticed her son reaching for his glasses on the toy box from under the covers. While Michio put on his glasses, Rina sat up in the bed, fearing the worst.

"Oh please don't hate me anymore," thought Rina, "I don't know if my heart can take it." Michio yawned as he came out from under the covers and put on his glasses while his mother watched with anticipation.

"Good morning," she said cautiously. Michio was silent as he inspected his mother.

"What is it," asked Rina as her heart stopped, "what's wrong?"

"Mom," Michio asked, "where'd your tail go?" Rina was overwhelmed with joy as she hugged her son and exclaimed: "You remember my secret!"

"Yeah, I do," replied Michio with crushed lungs.

"Now you can't watch any TV or play video games for a month because of what you did the past two days, but we can do anything else you want," declared Rina.

"Well for now," said Michio, "I'd like to breathe."

"Oh," replied Rina releasing the boy, "sorry." At this point, the mother and son couldn't help but laugh at the moment.

Once they were dressed and ready, Rina and Michio took a taxi down to the pier. There was a spring fair going on that Michio wanted to go to. When they arrived, there wasn't much of a crowd swarming the area. The lines were short, the skies were clear and there was a gentle breeze with a mixture of sweet and salty scents.

"So," asked Rina with a folded string of tickets in her hand, "ready to have some fun?"

"Uh-huh," answered Michio with a nod of confidence.

It was an exhilarating day for both of them. On the bumper cars they rode in one big car together. Wind constantly ran through their hair, only to be stopped by the hard thuds of other cars. All the bumping sent them in all sorts of different directions. They felt a little dizzy leaving their car, but that didn't stop them from boarding the waltzer.

They sat in one of the many big round seats that were on the movable track. Their seat was red and had seat belts under a metal bar. Once the ride started, their seat began to spin as it went up and down the hills along the track. As ride picked up speed, their seat spun faster. All the colors of their surroundings blurred as they mixed together. When the ride's time was up, it stopped pretty quickly on Rina and Michio. Everything looked it was moving all the over the place to Michio. He also felt a light and uneasy sensation in his stomach. Rina held Michio's hand to keep him from bumping into anyone or anything. The mermaid decided to take Michio to the Ferris wheel so he could take it easy.

The mother and son were encased in a green sphere with rectangular glass windows. After the door closed, Michio and Rina sat on the seat infused within the sphere. After making numerous stops to fill up, the ride finally started up for real. The wheel moved at a pace that was comfortable for everyone. When Michio and Rina reached the top, they saw the entire town, and the sea sparkling with the sun's reflection. It was a cheerful experience that left the mother and son wanting more.

After leaving the Ferris wheel, Michio and Rina went to get some ice cream. Michio ordered vanilla and Rina ordered chocolate-chip mint. They began licking their treats on a bench on the docks. The crowd was getting big and the song of the seagulls could be heard in the distance. Rina's ice cream did not have an overpowering minty flavor and the chocolate chips were bitter sweet. Michio's ice cream was smooth to the touch of the tongue, and had sweet and creamy flavoring.

"So Michio," asked Rina, "are you having fun?"

"Yeah," Michio replied, "I'm having a great time."

"Good," said Rina, "I'm glad we were able to do some bonding today. We had a rough start, but that's all water under the bridge now."

"Yeah," sighed Michio. Rina noticed a saddened expression on Michio's face.

"Michio," she asked, "what's wrong?"

"Well," explained Michio, "I just realized that eventually, you'll have to go back, won't you?" Despite her heart aching with guilt, Rina just couldn't lie to her only child anymore.

"Yes, Son," answered Rina with an arm around the boy, "I will have to go back eventually, but not right now. Let's just try not to think about it, okay?" Michio nodded.

"Good," said Rina grinning, "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Well," said Michio, "I would like to go to the beach." Rina thought it over carefully.

"Well, alright," she replied with slight hesitation, "let's go."

**Wammyman: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. There's more on the way. Happy Holidays!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Wammyman: Sorry for taking this long to update. Finals for college got rough. I currently have a "part-time" job at a deli that works me at full time hours, which takes up a lot of my time as well. I've also been following the devil is a part-timer and attack on titan. I highly recommend these shows by the way. Anyways, on to the next chapter.**

Chapter 11

Before going to the beach, Rina and Michio stopped at their house to change into their bathing suits and apply sunblock. Michio wore his blue swim trunks and Rina wore her two-piece green swim suit. Once all that was settled, they took a taxi down to the beach. The sand was a little warmer than usual that day and the tides were weak. Along the shore were several other families picnicking, building sandcastles and playing volleyball. For a while, Michio and Rina strolled along the beach where the water met the sand. Eventually, Rina noticed a silver truck selling food to other people.

"Hey Michio," asked Rina pointing to the truck, "Do you want anything?"

"Mmm, just pizza if they have any," said Michio.

"Alright then, let's get in line" replied Rina gently tugging her son's arm.

"Actually," asked Michio, "can I wait for you by the water so I can cool off?" Rina thought about it carefully. Looking over again, she realized that the truck really wasn't far from the water.

"Well, okay," said Rina, "just don't go into the water."

"Alright," nodded Michio. So Rina waited in line trying to act patient. She looked over to her son every few seconds. Every time she looked, she saw the same thing. Michio just sat by the waves and was motionless.

While Michio sat there waiting for his mother to return, the waves brushed against his calves with a bearable chill. As Michio stared at the sparkling sea, his mind was corrupted with wonder. If his mother could thrive underwater, couldn't he do the same? He had been in water many times in his life, but never grew a tail. Also, he never tried breathing underwater before. This was because his swimming instructors told him he would choke on the water and depart this life if he did. Now he wanted to see if that was true in his case.

Michio looked behind himself. His mother was in the front of the line placing the order. He didn't have much time. If he wanted to test his theory, he had to do it now. So Michio tossed himself back up on his feet and dove beneath the water.

After receiving service, Rina carried a large, slightly greasy slice of pepperoni pizza in some foil. She looked to the waves and saw no one. Her eyes widened as her breath grew short. Rina repeatedly scanned her surroundings and found nothing. Without even thinking, Rina dropped the pizza and threw herself underwater to start looking for her only child.

Under the sea, rays of gold shined on the vast, gray landscapes. There were no humans or forms of marine life in sight. Rina swam all over the place until her tail was sore. By the time that happened, there was hardly a stone left unturned, or a cave unexplored, yet no sign of Michio was found. Until her tail felt better, Rina had to rest. She sat herself on a boulder that was a fair distance from the surface.

While resting, the mermaid looked out into the seemingly endless undersea realm. Fear and worry ached all throughout her chest. Rina couldn't help but think that the worst had happened.

"And just when we were finally getting along," thought Rina depressed. At this point, she broke down in tears.

Suddenly, Rina felt two gentle taps make impact on her shoulder. The mermaid quickly turned around to see her son smiling at her. Out of instinct, Rina grabbed Michio and launched up to the surface. Upon surfacing, Rina felt a chilly sting as the air touched her wet skin.

"Michio," asked Rina in a state of panic, "are you hurt? What happened?"

"Mom, I'm fine," replied the son before coughing up a little sea water.

"What were you thinking," asked Rina, "you could have drowned."

"But I didn't," said Michio, "all I had to do was breathe."

"So, you came up for air?" Michio shook his head.

"I don't understand," said Rina confused.

"I can breathe underwater," clarified the boy. At first, Rina didn't know what to say. After a moment, she found the right words.

"No," she denied, "that's impossible. You're lying."

"I swear, it's the truth," said Michio. Rina looked at Michio with a serious face.

"Then show me," she finally replied. So the mermaid sank under the water and released her son. Michio sucked in some of the water and blew it right into his mother's face. Rina's eyes became wide as her mouth hung open. She looked down to see that Michio's legs were still present.

"This is amazing," Rina exclaimed.

"I know right," Michio replied smiling.

Out of nowhere, the mermaid's eyes narrowed as she grabbed and shook her son.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again," scolded Rina, "what were you even doing down here?"

"Getting you this," answered Michio digging through his pocket. Michio revealed a white, spiraled shell with spikes. Rina took the shell and inspected the pink interior. There was nothing living inside the shell. This gesture tugged at Rina's heart strings.

"Let's go home Michio," said Rina calmly, "we've had quite a day."

**Wammyman: And that wraps up this chapter. Sorry it was so short. Although I'm sure it answered a question a lot of you have had about Michio. And for those who are skeptical, remember that in the anime there is a group of human looking men that live under water guarding a magical powder that rapidly ages people. And on a final note, I dedicate this chapter to the return of the Nostalgia Critic. (R.I.P Demo Reel). **


	12. Chapter 12

**Wammyman: Wow, I'm sure glad I was able to update this fast. I'm trying really hard this summer to make time for my fanfics. Wherever my life takes me I want to at least finish all the stories I have in progress (though I would love to write more stories and hope to do so). I'm just sorry that I'm posting another short chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 12

Later that day, Masahiro rolled up to the house on his motorcycle. With the first step off, he felt the sweet relief of freedom. After a hard day of work, Masahiro was looking forward to spending time with his wife and son, who had just mended their relationship.

"I'm home," announced the man of the house as he entered.

"Hey Dad," said Michio from the living room.

"Welcome home Dear," greeted Rina from the kitchen. To make sure that his family was no longer divided by hatred, Masahiro went into the living room.

On the couch was Michio gazing through a newspaper while lying on his back.

"Michio," said Masahiro to get his son's attention.

"Yeah," replied the boy leaning his head back causing him to see his father upside-down.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for dinner. Mom wants to surprise us." After taking a sigh of relief, Masahiro asked: "Why are you reading the newspaper?"

"Because Mom said I can't watch T.V. or play video games for a month because of how I acted."

"Oh, alright then," said Masahiro.

"Dinner's ready," announced Rina popping her head in.

Once the boys were seated in the dining area, Rina brought in prepared plates for everyone. These plates carried mashed potatoes, peas and chicken tenders. Michio was a bit nervous since he never tried his mother's cooking before. Despite this, he picked up his silver fork, and dug right in. The mashed potatoes were quite pale. Along his tongue Michio felt two lumps within the thick goop. He also tasted a hint of saltiness. The tiny green peas had a bitter vegetable flavor and were very soft. The skin on the chicken tenders was crunchy and a little spicy. Michio's teeth easily tore through the white meat. The meat itself, however, had little flavor.

"So," asked Rina a little anxious, "how is it?" Michio swallowed some chicken and replied: "it's good."

"So, Michio," asked the father with some potatoes on his fork, "you know about Mom's little secret, right?" The son nodded.

"So everything's fine now, right," asked Masahiro? Michio nodded again.

"Good," said Masahiro before he resumed eating. Upon looking at his mother, Michio noticed her pointing her head toward Masahiro and lipping: "Tell him." Michio nodded.

"Hey, Dad," he began to say.

"M-hm," sounded the father with his mouth full.

"Today Mom took me to the beach," continued the son.

"That sounds fun," replied Masahiro before shoving more mashed potatoes in his mouth.

"And I found out that I can breathe underwater," Michio finished quickly. Masahiro spat his food out hard enough to make it hit the wall across the room.

"What," he screamed.

"It's true," replied Rina, "I saw it myself." Masahiro took a minute to calm down.

"Well," the father finally said, "I guess you are your mother's son."

"He sure is," replied Rina with a smile.

"Speaking of which," said Michio, "Mom, I'd like to ask you something."

"Okay, shoot," said Rina before encasing more chicken in her mouth. Michio took a deep breath then asked: "Can I see your castle?" Rina had a hard time swallowing her chicken after hearing that.

"You want to visit my kingdom," asked Rina surprised.

"Well, yeah," the son answered. The mermaid thought about it for a minute then said: "If we leave tomorrow, we should make it to a festival my kingdom is having."

"Alright," replied Michio, "let's go."

"But you should know," warned Rina, "that it takes three days to get there, the festival is for one day, and it will take another three days to get back."

"I'm fine with that," said Michio.

"That means this trip will take up most of your break," translated Masahiro.

"I understand," replied Michio with a nod. The parents went into the living room to quietly discuss the matter in private. Michio's heart raced until his parents returned.

"Well Michio," Rina finally said, "we'll leave first thing in the morning." Michio grinned with much delight.

**Wammyman: I hope you liked this chapter. You can decide for yourselves whether or not Rina is a good cook. Personally I…(notices Rina standing behind with a frying pan)…think she's a great cook (gets patted on head by Rina before she leaves). I'll try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. I promise it will be longer. Please review so that I know people are still reading and enjoying this story. Thanks. **


	13. Chapter 13

**Wammyman: Boy, I'm glad I was still able to update fairly quickly. I thought my addiction to Monster Legends on Facebook would set me back months, but thank God it didn't. I swear, it's amazing what you can do on the internet. The admins on the Devil is a Part-Timer Facebook page used one of my captions for one of their photos and I made a meme featuring a picture of Bills from the new Dragonball Z movie. But I'm getting off track. Here's the next chapter. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 13

The following morning, the family of three went to the beach. The sun was climbing up from behind the waves. After exchanging hugs and kisses with Masahiro, Rina and Michio descended beneath the waves. Rina reverted back to her mermaid form while Michio remained in his blue polo and beige khakis. Soon after the departure, Masahiro left the beach while the mother and son began their journey to the palace.

Michio frog-kicked and butterfly stroked quickly to keep up with his mother's effortless glide. Rina swam much slower than usual so she could keep an eye on Michio. Despite his ability to breathe underwater, Michio eventually grew tired. After Michio exhausted himself, Rina wrapped an arm around him and swam faster. While Michio was catching his breath, he could feel his heart racing.

"I figured you wouldn't be able to swim all the way," said Rina, "so I arranged a ride for us." Suddenly, a giant whale with a gray dorsal and white belly appeared. It looked happy to see Michio and Rina. The mermaid swam above the whale's head and set Michio down before seating herself. There was no need to worry about falling off since the top of the whale's head was flat and it swam at a steady pace to the kingdom.

Three days later, Rina and Michio reached the kingdom of the North Atlantic. The palace shined with lime green. It needed to with the surrounding waters being so dark and cold. After arriving, Michio and Rina got off the whale, allowing it to return to its home. As Michio got closer to the palace, his stomach twisted into knots. Once they reached a huge, shining door, Rina stopped Michio for a moment.

"Are you nervous," she asked.

"A- A little," replied Michio.

"Just be yourself," assured Rina with both hands on the boy's shoulders, "it's a festival. We're here to have fun. Just remember, I love you and I'm proud to call you my son." Hearing that made Michio feel a little better.

"Thanks Mom," said Michio smiling.

After Michio took a deep breath, Rina opened the door to her castle. The opening revealed a marble hall decorated with emerald rugs and curtains. Along the marble pillars were glowing green crystals. Once inside, Michio noticed that the water was warmer and he could walk on the rugs almost as easily as he could on land. Soon after the mother and son arrived, one of the local mermaids noticed them.

This local had a light green tail and curly light green hair.

"Princess Rina," she gasped, "you've returned!"

"Indeed," replied the mermaid princess, "and I've brought some one very special with me." She was referring to Michio who was hiding behind her. The local mermaid looked behind Rina and saw him.

"Is he..." she said in a questioning voice. Rina nodded. The local's jaw hung open as she covered her mouth with her hands.

"Everyone," announced the local, "Princess Rina has returned, and she brought her son with her!" In seconds, numerous mermaids of all ages crowded the hall. They all had different hairstyles and tails of different shades of green. The hall became filled with shocked expressions and endless whispers. Michio stayed close to his mother as he trembled with a pounding heart.

"Now, now," ordered Rina, "we can get to introductions later. In the meantime, my son and I need to get dressed for the festival. Please continue with preparations." So all the other mermaids swam off to complete their tasks. It was then that Michio and Rina continued down the hall. Along the way Michio noticed some very young mermaids waving at him and giggling. Michio looked away with unusual sensations that he had never felt before. After reaching the end of the hall, Michio and Rina encountered several other adult mermaids.

"We will handle the arrangements for your garments," said one of the mermaids.

"Very well," replied Rina, "let's begin."

"We'll have to dress you in separate rooms," said another mermaid.

"Alright then," said Rina without hesitation, "proceed."

"Wait, what," shrieked Michio.

"It's alright Son," assured Rina, "we'll see each other again soon."

"O-Okay," said Michio with butterflies swarming inside of his stomach. So the mother and son were separated by a group of three mermaids each. As Michio was carried away, he kept his eyes on his mother until she was out of sight. Once he could no longer see her, he looked ahead into his dressing room.

After hours of preparation, Michio and Rina were reunited behind a grand curtain. The room they were in was decently lit so they could see each other. Rina wore a white skirt that covered half of her tail along with white gloves that covered her arms with gold stripes. She also had a gold tiara with an emerald embedded in the center. Michio wore a dark green royal suit with a white cape and a small, silver crown. Within this outfit, Michio was trembling uncontrollably.

"Michio," said Rina running her fingers through his hair, "what's wrong?"

"I-I d-didn't k-know I'd have to t-talk in front of all th-those p-people," he stuttered. Rina looked her son in the eye calmly and said: "You don't have to say anything. Just smile and look at the wall if you want. I'll give a quick little speech, and then we can have fun for the rest of the night."

"Okay," replied Michio as he stopped shaking. Rina smiled.

"You're very brave for doing this. And you look so handsome," she praised. Michio blushed after hearing his mother's compliment.

Eventually, the curtain rolled upward. While this happened, a mermaid announced: "Presenting the royal family of the North Atlantic." Standing before Michio and Rina were thousands of mermaids formally dressed and cheering them on. After the crowd was silenced, Rina swam forward. Michio stood like a statue and stared at the back wall. His face was frozen in a neutral expression.

"Mermaids of the North Atlantic," announced Rina, "I am honored to join you for this glorious celebration. However, this year's festival is particularly special, because we get to spend it with my wonderful son." Michio started to blush again.

"Let the festival begin," finished Rina. All the other mermaids roared with joy as Rina guided Michio into the crowd.

Throughout the night, an orchestra played both jazz songs and classical tunes. Beautiful sounds of stringed and wind instruments echoed all across the palace. During the fast songs Michio was able to loosen up and let his body run wild. Whenever a slow song played, Michio waltzed with his mother while other mermaids formed a large, moving circle around them. Michio danced a little clumsily as he tried not to step on his mother's fins. Luckily, slow songs were few and far between. As everyone danced, they also laughed and had a blast.

For Michio, all the dancing took its toll after a while. Rina noticed Michio was having a hard time staying awake and keeping his balance. She guided him away from everyone, and then carried him once she knew no one was looking.

"I had fun tonight," said a drowsy Michio.

"I'm glad," Rina replied, "I had fun too."

"It's really neat down here," added Michio.

"It sure is," said Rina before giggling. The mermaid carried Michio into a guest bedroom across from her quarters. The room was dark when Rina opened the door. She used the light that the door let in to find the bed. At the head of the bed, Rina peeled off the covers and put Michio on the bed so that he sat up. Then Rina removed Michio's crown, cape, and glasses.

"Good night Mom," yawned Michio before lying down on the luxurious bed.

"Good night Michi," whispered Rina. After Michio closed his eyes, Rina kissed him on the forehead and left the room.

**Wammyman: And that brings this chapter to a close. I know some of you may have wanted this chapter to play out differently, but it wasn't the direction I had in mind for the story to go. You see, when I post a chapter online, I like to make sure the two chapters after that are handwritten in a notebook. If you have any further questions, please PM me. Until next time-Wammyman.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody**

Chapter 14

As Michio slumbered his entire body melted onto the bed. His eyelids felt as though they were glued together. Michio's head was also well supported by the pillows provided. For the entire night, Michio was motionless. His senses were dead throughout the night as well.

The first of Michio's senses to be stimulated was his hearing. He heard a womanly voice whisper very softly: "Michio." Soon after, Michio felt his body being gently pushed side to side. As Michio opened his eyes, he saw blurry blobs of green and peach.

"Good morning," said the voice quietly. Michio's glasses were placed over his eyes to reveal his mother in no formal attire, and with a warm smile. After adjusting his glasses, Michio sat up and yawned: "Morning Mom."

"Listen," said Rina not as quietly, "we need to leave now if we want to make it back before you start school again."

"Okay," replied Michio with a nod.

Once Michio was back in his original clothes, he had some crunchy, bitter seaweed for breakfast. Then he began riding the whale back home with his mother. During the ride, Michio gazed at the marine world in awe. The sun's golden rays were visible in the water and gleamed along the colorful reefs. Large schools of fish began swimming above Michio's head as well. These fish were of many different colors, shapes and sizes.

Michio's sightseeing was cut short when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He faced his mother who had a saddened expression on her face.

"Michio," said the mother.

"Yeah," said the son back.

"I've got some bad news. Last night I found out that my people need me back sooner than originally planned. After we return to the surface, I'll only be able to stay for one more day, and then I'll have to leave the next morning."

"Are you serious," asked Michio in a high pitched voice. Rina nodded.

"I'm so sorry," cracked Rina. Suddenly, Rina hatched up an idea.

"You know," she suggested, "if you want, you can stay with me." Michio's eyes widened.

"You mean," he asked, "I could live down here?"

"Sure, if that's what you want," replied Rina. At that moment, Michio's brain exploded with questions.

"Well wait," he began asking, "When would we see each other? And what about school? And when would I see Dad again?"

"Well," answered Rina, "We would see each other every morning and night and sometimes during the day. You would go to the school in the palace with other mermaids your age. And, it's hard to say when we would see your father again."

"Oh man," said Michio overwhelmed, "I just, I just don't know what to do. I don't wana leave Dad, but I still wana see you."

"Well, how about this," proposed Rina calmly, "we'll go back on land for now. That way if you want to stay up there, you'll already be at the house, and if decide to stay with me, you can say good-bye to Dad. How does that sound?"

"Well, alright," replied Michio.

"Just think about it," said Rina with her arms around Michio, "and do what makes you happy."

"Okay," said Michio with a fake grin.

Three days later, Rina knocked on the door to Masahiro's house. After opening the door, Masahiro was overwhelmed with joy upon seeing his family again. In seconds, everyone clustered together in a group hug.

"I missed you guys," said Masahiro.

"And we missed you," replied Rina with a tear of joy. After everyone released each other, Masahiro asked: "So, how was the festival?"

"It was wonderful," answered Rina.

"Yeah, I had a lot of fun," added Michio.

"That's great," Masahiro replied, "so, what do you guys want to do now?"

"Actually, Masahiro," Rina brought up in a serious tone, "there's something we need to tell you."

"What is it," asked the father.

"Tomorrow morning I have to go back to my country," explained Rina, "And I've offered Michio to come live with me." A bolt of shock raced through Masahiro's body.

"And what did you say," asked Masahiro to his son directly.

"I, I haven't decided yet," said Michio weakly. For a moment, everyone was speechless.

"Well then," Masahiro finally said, "what would you guys like to do in the mean time?"

"I don't care what we do," shrugged Rina.

"I need to be alone for a while to think," said Michio.

"Then while you're doing that," suggested Masahiro, "how about I call the Domotos and see if they want to catch fireflies later?"

"That sounds great," replied Rina.

"Wait, Mom," asked Michio, "you know the Domotos?"

"Yeah," answered Rina, "we went to school together. And I actually saw them when I first came back on land and met your friend Hana."

"Oh," said Michio surprised, "that's interesting."

"Yeah, sorry I didn't tell you sooner," said Rina feeling a little stupid.

"It's fine," replied Michio, "and I'm up for catching fireflies if they are."

"Great," Masahiro declared, "then I'll give them a call."

"I'll get the supplies," announced Rina.

"And I'll do some thinking," said Michio heading for his room. With that, Michio's parents began preparations.

Later that evening, a red car pulled up in front of the house. Soon after, there was a knock on the door. When Masahiro opened the door, it revealed the Domotos. Lucia had a pink light jacket on, Kaito wore a white coat, and Hana was wearing black sweat pants and a red sweater with a polar bear on it.

"Hey guys," greeted Kaito.

"Hey there," greeted Masahiro back, "thanks for coming."

"No problem," replied Lucia, "so I take it Michio and Rina managed to patch things up."

"That's correct," said Rina entering the foyer with two empty glass jars.

"That's great," said Lucia.

"Speaking of which," asked Hana, "where is Michio?"

"He's in his room," explained Masahiro, "I'll get him." So Masahiro called out: "Michio, the Domotos are here!" Not long after, Michio came out wearing a grey hoodie and blue jeans.

"Hi Michio," greeted Hana with enthusiasm.

"Hi Hana," said Michio back, "and hey, how come you guys never told me you know my mom?"

"You never asked," replied Lucia.

"Well, anyway," suggested Masahiro, "Why don't we start catching fireflies?"

Once outside, each family had one jar to catch fireflies with. Both families went into the woods near the house. There was barely any sunlight left, and the air was a bit chilly. Blinking green dots swarmed around the darkened trees and grass. In the distance, sounds of croaking could be heard. A perfect night for family fun.

Both families used the same tactic for catching fireflies. The fathers and children clapped their hands together to try to catch one of the dots. For the fathers, catching the bugs was easy. However, it was rare for one of the kids to catch one. Once a firefly was caught, it was carried over to a jar held by a mother. After carefully making a hole in a catcher's hands above the jar, the firefly would fly in. The jar was then quickly twisted shut. Occasionally, a firefly would escape and some laughs echoed throughout the woods.

Later that night, the families used flashlights to get back to the house. Once there, the parents talked inside, while the kids stayed out to release the fireflies. They did this behind the house. Once the jars were open, the blinking green bugs flew off into the moonlight.

"I'm glad things are better with you and your mom," said Hana.

"Yeah, me too," Michio replied.

"Now we can all do stuff like this all the time," Hana smiled. Hearing that reawakened a painful thought in Michio's mind.

"Actually, we can't," he sighed.

"Why not," asked Hana.

"Because my mom has to leave again tomorrow," explained Michio.

"Aw," sounded Hana.

"And she invited me to come live with her. I just don't know what to do because either way, I'll end up leaving one of my parents all alone. Hana, what do you think I should do?" Hana took a moment to think it all over carefully. It was hard to pick the right words since she had her own mixed feelings about the situation. She didn't want Michio to leave, but she did want him to be happy.

"Well," she finally said, "one time my mom told me that if I'm ever not sure what to do, then I should listen to my heart. I think that's what you need to do."

"Well how do I do that," asked Michio.

"I don't know," shrugged Hana, "I think it just means do what you think is right."

"I guess I'll try it," said Michio, "thanks for listening."

"You're welcome," replied Hana, "and Michio, just so you know, I'll miss you if you decide to live with your mom." Hana's eyes welled up after what she said.

"I'll miss you too Hana," said Michio.

"Hana," called out a womanly voice, "we're leaving."

"Coming Mom," yelled Hana back. After exchanging good-byes, Hana went into the car with her parents and Michio went back into his house.

As Michio brushed his teeth, he wore the same pajamas he wore the night he discovered his mother was a mermaid. While his toothbrush slid along his teeth, a sphere of ice grew within his stomach. His forehead also ached from thinking so much. He couldn't get his mind off of which of his parents to stay with. With everything going on in his mind, it was hard for Michio to abide by his friend's advice.

After Michio put down his toothbrush, he slowly made his way to his parents' room. His eyes become heavy as he drew short breaths. It wasn't long after Michio banged on the door a few times that it opened, revealing his father in his usual pajamas.

"Michio," asked Masahiro concerned, "what's wrong?" Tears began to leak out of Michio's eyes.

"C-Can I-I s-sleep w-w-with y-you guys t-t-tonight," sniffled Michio.

"Aw," replied the father picking up his son, "of course you can." Suddenly, Rina came out of the bathroom in her pajamas. She got onto the bed at the same time Masahiro brought a crying Michio onto the bed with him. Before Michio tried to say anything, Rina hugged him so that he was sandwiched between his parents. After releasing her son, Rina ran her fingers through Michio's hair and softly said: "Don't worry about me or your father."

"We just want you to be happy," added Masahiro, "if you're happy, then we're happy." Michio's wheezing started slowing down.

"I'm fine with whatever you decide," assured Rina, "and I'll always love you no matter what." Michio became silent.

"Just sleep on it for now," said Masahiro removing his son's glasses, "and tell us your decision in the morning." When the lights were out, Michio laid between his parents who were already in deep slumber. As Michio began to fall asleep, he tried listening for his heart.

**Wammyman: So the words of wisdom that started all of this are being brought back into play. Tune into the final chapter to find out Michio's decision. But before I post it, I need to go back into previous chapters and fix some mistakes. Please be patient.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Wammyman: It's hard to believe this is the final chapter of this story. To think that I started it two years ago and it since then, it has become so popular. I enjoyed writing this story and even I'm a little sad to see it end. Well, time to wrap this up.**

**Dedication: I dedicate this chapter to AuthoressSama, as a way to thank her for her support, teaching me more on how to write properly, and for writing "Mama's a Mermaid", the story that inspired me to write this one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Mermaid Melody.**

Chapter 15

The next morning, Michio awakened. Blinded without his glasses, he carefully crawled between his parents so as not to wake them. Once he was out of the bed, Michio got his glasses off of the nightstand, and put them on. With his vision cleared up, Michio saw that both of his parents were still out cold.

"I wish we could all just be here together forever," thought Michio. As Michio grew teary eyed, he left the master bedroom. Soon after, Rina woke up. After noticing her son was gone, she left the bedroom to look for him.

Rina strolled through the hallway and peered into the kitchen. In there she saw Michio sitting on a stool by the island. After slowly creeping up to the island, Rina sat on another stool and whispered: "Hey."

"Hey," Michio whispered back.

"So, have you made your decision?" Michio nodded and took a deep breath.

"I'm gonna stay here," he said with cracks in his voice.

"Are you sure," asked Rina.

"Yeah," cracked Michio again, "I would leave behind too many people if I lived with you." Tears began streaming out of Michio's eyes as he began sniffling. Rina hugged her son in an attempt to comfort him.

"I understand," she whispered, "you have a friend up here that you don't want to leave all alone. It's good that you stay loyal to your friends."

Out of nowhere, Masahiro walked into the kitchen and yawned: "Hey, what's going on?"

"Michio's staying with you," Rina answered.

"Michio, are you sure," Masahiro asked. Michio faced his father and nodded.

"But, Mom," Michio asked, "can I still come over to your kingdom to visit sometimes?"

"Absolutely," replied Rina with a smile.

"Oh good," said Michio feeling better, "this way I won't have to wait ten years to see you again."

"Oh it won't be ten years before we see each other again," said Rina.

"What do you mean," the son asked.

"Well," explained Rina, "things in my country are very peaceful now. So, don't be surprised if I come by more often to check up on you." Michio's smile grew wider after hearing that.

"Rina," Masahiro interjected, "do you want to change before you go?"

"Yes," replied Rina.

After everyone changed into casual attire, they went out the house's back door. Once outside, Rina and Masahiro shared one last kiss with their arms wrapped around each other. Soon after the kiss was over, Rina opened her pendent and took out her pearl.

"Michio," she said placing the pearl in her son's hand, "I want you to hang on to this for me."

"But don't you need it," asked Michio.

"Not right now," Rina replied, "just think of me whenever you hold that pearl and when you look out at the sea."

"Okay," said a grinning Michio.

"And remember to listen to father, to do your best at everything you do, to stay true to yourself and to those you care about," instructed Rina. Michio nodded.

"And most importantly," finished Rina, "remember that that I love you." Michio hugged his mother with welled up eyes and said: "I love you too." Rina gave her son one last kiss on the forehead, then made a sprint to the edge of the cliff, and leaped off. Once she was a mermaid again, Rina began swimming back to her country with tears pouring into the ocean. Soon after, Michio was over taken with sobbing as his father hugged him tightly.

"It's alright," he said softly, "she'll be back someday. She'll be back."

Nearly a week later, a red car parked by the Pearl Piari. Out of the car came Michio, Hana and Kaito.

"Hey Michio," asked Hana as they made their way to the hotel, "can we start with our science homework? Because that's the most confusing to me."

"Sure," said Michio. Before he made it to the hotel door, something was caught in the corner of Michio's eye. He turned and saw only the sea sparkling as it embraced the light of the sun.

"Michio," asked Hana, "whatcha lookin at?"

"Oh, nothing," Michio replied. Hana quickly shrugged it off as she entered the hotel. As Michio stepped through the door, he took one last look at the sea to see if she came back. Upon seeing nothing, he went inside, and closed the door.

**Wammyman: It's so odd and sad to see this story end. Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited and supported this story. Please review so that I know all the people who read this story to the end. Also, vote on my poll now if you haven't already and want to see Michio and Hana on more misadventures. So far a "Target: Pichi Pichi Pitch" sequel has a narrow lead. Vote while there's still time.**


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